


Regardless of Blood

by Darkhymns



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Angst, Family, Father's Day, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 18:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4190364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkhymns/pseuds/Darkhymns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Father's Day was near. Could Kratos ever hope for a place in his son's life? Especially when another had already taken that place far beyond his reach?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Regardless of Blood

**Author's Note:**

> For Father's Day, even though it's late. Also because I have a fondness for Dirk. :)

The Journey of Regeneration had a habit of making detours.

Despite Kratos' guidance, the rest of his party continued making decisions on where they should head to next. Ever since they released the Seal of Fire, he found that his hold on their path was beginning to lessen. Even when the mercenary would object, even when he glared at the children who seemed to take this mission a bit too light-heartedly, it didn't stop them from wanting to stay in a town a day longer, or wander down a field for whatever inane desire they had. From hidden treasures, to new monsters to fight, to simply fulfilling some random passerby's request. It was amazing on just how much they had diverted from their destination, leading from the Ossa Trail in the mountains to near the Triet Desert once more.

Kratos suspected this journey was unraveling due to Lloyd's presence.

"Hey, there's a caravan up ahead!" Lloyd was already waving to the people further up the road, a covered wagon parked to the side, and a large crowd seated before a campfire. The smell of spices filled the air, accompanied by sizzling meat. "And they got  _food!"_

"Are they playing music?" Colette's enthusiasm matched the boy's own, clasping her hands together. "It sounds so pretty!"

"Chosen, we must be careful. We do not know if they are dangerous or-"

Lloyd had already grabbed Colette's hand, bringing her with him. "It's okay. I promised I'd protect you, right? Let's go!"

Kratos inwardly fumed as both children rushed heedless toward the group, with Genis following suit, complaining loudly about being left behind. The mercenary turned to the only other adult traveling along.

"Should we not do something?"

Raine pressed the end of her staff into the ground, then sighed. "It's been a rough few days. They deserve some leisure once in a while. Besides, I've come across this caravan before - they are a traveling troubadour family. They always offer hospitality to those they meet on the road."

She did not expand further on just how she had met them. But Kratos had already assumed her half-elven heritage, despite everyone's ignorance to that back in Iselia. He pursued a different matter instead.

"There is an assassin trailing after us."

"And that is why we will watch her." Raine walked forward, patting Noishe as she did so, who followed close behind. "As I'm sure you will do also."

A week after they had finally left the caravan, who had insisted on feeding them an assortment of dishes that Lloyd just had to sample, they continued on their trek to the Seal of Water. But it was slow going, at a speed that a snail could rival. Kratos tried to be patient, doing all he could to not rouse the group during the middle of the night to make up for lost traveling time. Instead he would sit besides a softly whining Noishe, eyes scanning the horizon, looking out for the flash of a pink sash, hearing for soft treads on the grass. But considering the assassin's previous encounter with them, he figured she must not be the biggest threat they had. Still, he would have wished the others didn't think so as well.

After leaving Lake Umacy, when both Lloyd and the Chosen were finally convinced there was nothing to be done for the trapped unicorn in the water, they trudged down the path, heading towards Palmacosta.

By mid-afternoon, Colette shot her head up with a sudden thought.

"Oh! I just remembered!"

"Huh? Remembered what?" Lloyd turned his full attention to her, which was easy enough. Kratos had seen how his eyes had been glassy as they walked, clearly bored, and clearly not watching out for any bandits or monsters.  _So much for vigilance._

"It's going to be Father's Day soon!" Colette gazed to the ground sadly. "And I won't be there…"

Lloyd blinked in understanding. "Oh crap! You're right! I totally forgot!"

"Since when have you ever  _not_  forgotten something, Lloyd?"

"Shut it, Genis. Damn, now I have to come up with something…"

"Everyone, remember where we are," Raine reminded. She shifted her backpack over her shoulder more firmly, plunking her staff's end into the ground with each step. "We're days away from Iselia, and we haven't even gone to the second seal."

Colette was silent for a moment, clearly looking torn on what she was about to say. Kratos watched her carefully as she finally took a breath. "Um, Professor, that's what I've been thinking about. We're only a few days away from Iselia, so… maybe we could visit? It wouldn't take that long and then I can have time to come up with a present for my dad."

"Chosen," Kratos interrupted, breaking the taciturn quiet he had kept up for several hours. "I do not think that is wise. It's already been over a month, and we have not been making progress on our journey."

Colette, hearing the serious tone in his voice, downcast her eyes. Though sad, she was accepting of the fact of what she needed to do. Kratos was grateful. Despite her flightiness, the Chosen was capable of seeing reason.

"I'm with Colette," Lloyd spoke up. "We should go visit!"

The mercenary did all he could to not glare. "As I already said-"

"Ah, don't worry so much!" To his ire, the boy waved away his concerns. "It'll just be like a week or so, right? What's so wrong about that?"

Colette's eyes brightened with hope, while Kratos' own dimmed. "Y-yeah! It'll only be a for a little while!"

"Even so, where would we stay during our time there?" Kratos tried once more. "As I recall, both you and Genis are no longer allowed within Iselia's borders."

He regretted what he said immediately, though he didn't show it. A shadow passed over both Lloyd and Genis' faces. Their exile had been done with bitterness from the Iselian residents, according to their story. He could feel Raine's glare from next to him, but paid her little attention.

"We could all just stay in Dirk's house!" Colette said. "He always lets us stay over, and there's so much room!"

Lloyd turned to her gratefully. "Yeah! Dad wouldn't mind, I'm sure. And then I can give him his gift easy."

Genis still looked a little sorrowful, kicking a bit at the dust on the road. "All my books are back home though, and I can't even go back to get them." He sighed. "And it's not like I have a dad to go make something for anyway…"

His sister ran a hand through the boy's silver locks, understanding, no words needing to be said between them.

"I can get your books for you," Colette suggested. "I know you have a lot, so I'll try not to drop them. Would that be okay?"

At that, Genis grinned. "Actually…yeah! That's so nice of you! If you want, I can help you with your present. Your dad really liked the cake we made last time, right? I'm thinking we could make a patch of brownies instead with some white frosting and walnuts and stuff."

"That sounds so good!" Colette clapped her hands, happy to just imagine the task.

Lloyd laughed at the two. "Geez, you guys. Now you're making me all hungry. When did we even have lunch last?"

Genis gave an exasperated sigh. "It's only been an hour."

"Hey, two lunches are better than one!"

Kratos watched with dawning realization as the three kids discussed their plans for their trip back to Iselia, oblivious to the world, lost in each other's voices. It had already been decided. The Journey of Regeneration would be postponed yet again.

"And you have no objections to this, Miss Sage?" he asked Raine, hoping once more that this adult - a professor and dedicated scholar - would see some sense.

Like before, she hesitated, and like before, she released a soft breath. "It would probably be good for Colette. A little time with her father shouldn't really hurt." He caught how she gripped her staff, tight and with discomfort. "Who knows what else will happen on this journey."

Raine was the only one who knew of Colette's fate. It was a burden that she carried well, though Kratos could see how it weighed on her, especially as she would look to the sleeping Chosen on their nights camping, her eyes filled with remorse.

Kratos knew of it as well, knew more than anyone in this world truly did on what the Chosen's final transformation really meant. But that knowledge he kept well-hidden.

He noticed then the kids had turned to both him and Raine, eagerness on their young faces, eyes bright with laughter.

"Mr. Kratos. Professor Sage," Colette started, her joy buoyed by Lloyd's hand on her arm. "Would it be alright? Can we go?"

Raine put up an obvious pondering expression, arms crossed with one hand on her chin. After a tense-filled moment, she nodded gently. "As long as we leave soon after."

Enthused by their success over one adult, the children turned their full gaze on the mercenary.

"Well, how about it, Kratos?" Lloyd asked. His grin was bright, instantly bringing back images that Kratos had thought he had grounded away. It was of innocence, of a giddy happiness that had been lost in the storm. Briefly, he closed his eyes to bury those images in the dark where they belonged.

"If the Chosen wishes," he said in surrender.

* * *

Three days it took them to cross the Triet Desert, past the looming plains until they reached the fringes of Iselia's forest. Kratos noted on how they quickly they made the trek, certainly much more then when they were traveling in the opposite direction.

At the very least, he hoped this meant that they would be satisfied with the time they had left to stay here.

"We can just go drop our stuff off at my dad's first," Lloyd suggested, already moving ahead of the group down the forest path he had taken hundreds of times in the past. Noishe had already scampered off through the trees, his whines echoing due to threats of unseen monsters. But nothing of the sort had crossed their way, making it easy travel.

"Then Colette can go off to see her family."

"I will go with her," Raine voiced. "I don't want to take any chances with the ranch nearby. And I'm sure Iselia will let me through."

"Be careful, Sis," Genis said worriedly. "I don't remember them saying you counted as part of the exile but… some people might still be angry."

"I promise I'll be cautious. I think my role in Colette's journey will remind people of who I am though."

Kratos shifted his sword, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "I can escort you both as well."

"I think it would be best if we have one other adult stay here, besides Dirk." Raine's eyes briefly flickered over to Lloyd, quick and easily missed.

He had also had noticed Lloyd's sudden silence, could feel the small tension emanating from him. Vowing to protect Colette, Kratos could imagine how much it bothered him that he could not follow where she would go. It would be wise to keep an eye on him, in case he did something foolish.

"If you deem it so. I will expect you both here by dawn after the holiday."

"Thank you both so much!" Colette said, then turned to the boy just a little ahead of her. "I'm sorry you can't come too, Lloyd. But I'll tell both father and grandmother how much you've helped me on this journey."

"Yeah…" A small distance to the right from the group, Kratos saw guilt fill the boy's eyes, but only for a moment. His instant cheerfulness banished that image away. "But you can still hang out around here first anyway, right? And besides, I'll need time to work on my dad's present."

Shortly after, Dirk's house loomed through gaps in the trees ahead, a wide and grand wooden structure that was built upon stable ground. Surrounded on all sides by fresh green, with a bright blue stream cutting through the soil, Kratos felt its idyllic presence overwhelm his own, making him feel vastly out of place. Already Noishe was there, lying comfortably within his dog pen, as if he had never left the grounds in the first place.

The sound of the rushing stream was broken by a sharp clanging in the air, of metal striking against each other. Of course. Lloyd's father was a blacksmith, wasn't he?

Lloyd cupped his hands over his mouth, and let out an impressive yell.  _"Heeeey, daaaad!"_

"You know, you could just go knock on the door like a normal person," Genis grumbled.

In response was another voice from inside the house, even louder, but a deep baritone to counter Lloyd's slight tenor.  _"Lloyd! Back already?"_

" _Yeah! Colette and everyone else is here with me!"_

" _Really? Why's that?!"_

" _Just passing through!"_

Genis winced with each extremely loud enunciation. "Gah, enough already! Can't we just go inside?!"

Colette walked up besides Lloyd and tried to mimic his actions, cupping one hand near her mouth and taking a deep breath to join in the yelling conversation. Raine stopped her just in time, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking her head vigorously. She, too, was flinching with each of Lloyd's punctured yells.

" _Hurry up and get over here then!"_

" _Okaaay!"_

Stunned that such an event had actually just happened, Kratos followed the others as they crossed the small bridge. The front door snapped open, revealing a heavy-set dwarf on the step, a large metal hammer held on one equally large hand. Half of his face was covered in a thick, auburn-colored beard.

"Lloyd!" He wiped his forehead with his other arm, still sweating from working on the forge. "Should've known you'd be messing about!"

"Hey, I'm still helping!"

Raine eased her way past Lloyd and his protests. "It's good to see you, Dirk. I'm sorry for the sudden visit."

"No need fer that." The dwarf grinned widely, showcasing white teeth, wrinkles creasing around his eyes. This was someone who smiled easily. "It's always good fortune to have friends over. I only hope Lloyd hasn't been causing you too much trouble."

"I'm  _right here,_ Dad."

"Aye, you are! It's hard to miss a growing weed like you!" Dirk gave Lloyd a small tap on the shoulder with his fist. The loud thump that Kratos heard told him that it had been a little more than gentle, but the boy only nursed the bruise with a smile, echoing the dwarf's own.

Once again, Kratos felt out of place. He opted for silence, thankful that no one paid him much mind as they all chattered away.

* * *

Because of the wide expanse of the home, it was easy for all to find a place to rest for their time there. Dinners were loud and raucous, with breakfasts being the same way, the children telling jokes and the dwarf daring each one of them to try Raine's potluck surprise. They were days brimming with laughter, especially so for the three children who had let go of their worries and responsibilities for this brief time by playing inane games or spouting dwarven vows at intervals. The Chosen herself seemed quite happy, tagging by Lloyd wherever he went. At nights, Kratos could hear them softly talking with each other up on the terrace, their whispers interrupted by breathless giggles.

He would usually be standing before the grave outside during such nights, head bowed, tracing over the name etched on the stone. It was one of the few spots in this pastoral environment that he felt more welcome.

In the early morning of Father's Day, Colette was trying her best with her baking efforts. She watched with trepidation as the brownies baked within the large oven, Genis by her side.

"Do you think it's ready yet?"

"It's only been five minutes." Genis took off his oven mitts, placing them on the kitchen counter. "Trust me, it's gonna be perfect."

"I know. I'm not doubting you – I just don't want to mess things up as usual."

"Believe me, Colette, you're helping me way more than you know." At that, Genis peered over Colette's shoulder at a boy standing by the open doorway, who was staring earnestly at the oven where all the scrumptious smells were coming from. He tried his best to be non-conspicuous, leaning from the doorframe that he was barely hiding behind.

Colette instantly turned around, placing herself squarely in front of the baking goods. "Not for you, Lloyd!"

"Aww! But I'm so hungry!"

Genis frowned. "You already ate all the frosting!"

"That's not enough and you know it!"

But with Colette keeping her guard, they were able to bake their brownies to full completion while still warding off Lloyd's hands from stealing a small piece. Soon after, Genis handed off the cooking pan full of chocolate goodness to Colette, who held it carefully in her arms. White and blue frosting (which had been rescued from Lloyd's hunger) covered its entire surface, the icing designs decorated with neat little hearts that the Chosen had added.

"I think your dad's really gonna like it." Lloyd gave a thumbs up, then tried being subtle as he reached for the pan. Raine slapped his hand away.

Oblivious to his attempted theft, Colette nodded. "I think so too! We even added in peanut butter for the filling."

Lloyd looked ready to salivate. Raine took the initiative and slapped him on the back of the head. "Not for you."

"Man…"

"I'll try to save some for you when I come back later!" Colette offered.

Lloyd's face brightened. "Thanks!"

With a nod, the Chosen took one step to turn around and head towards the bridge. The maneuver proved a bit too complicated for her. With a heart-stopping twist of her foot, she slipped on the even ground and yelped as she lost her grip on the pan.

Before anyone could think to move, Kratos stepped forward, catching the Chosen by her arm, and laying one steady hand on the pan, saving both her and the baked treats from disaster.

He easily took the object away from her and handed it over to Raine. "It would probably be best if you held onto these."

Momentarily speechless, the professor nodded, taking the pan in her arms. "Yes, that's a good idea."

"I'm so sorry. I almost messed everything up again."

"Colette, it's fine." Though Genis' voice was a bit shaky at seeing all his hard work nearly crash to the ground, he put on a smile. "Everything turned out okay, didn't it?"

"Yeah, so you don't have to apologize," Lloyd said. "Even if it was dropped, I bet the brownies would still taste good anyway!"

"Lloyd, not everyone would eat food just right off the ground like you," Genis accused. "Some of us have standards."

"Hey, I have plenty of those, too!"

"You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Kinda!"

Genis frowned, exasperated. "Good thing Kratos is around to save the day. I didn't see  _you_  moving in to help."

Kratos saw the effect those words had on the boy, though Genis didn't realize it. Just a playful jab at talk, but he saw how Lloyd flicked a glance at the mercenary, momentarily disdaining him for being there, for being better than he was. It passed instantly, replaced by annoyance at his friend. "Hey, neither did you!"

"Boys, that's enough." Raine's voice instantly calmed them both, then she turned to Colette. "We should probably get going soon. If you could just carry my staff?"

"Of course!" Colette took the weapon that the professor had cradled with her elbow, holding it before her chest. "Bye, everyone! And thank you!"

With a little more fanfare than Kratos deemed appropriate for such a small outing, the young boys waved as Raine and Colette crossed the bridge span, until finally turning around the corner of the trees to vanish from sight.

After, Lloyd stretched his arms above his head, standing up on his toes as he jolted his muscles to wakefulness. "Alright, time to make Dad's present now!"

Genis turned to him, wide-eyed. "Are you  _serious?_ We've been here for days and you haven't even started it yet?"

He shrugged. "It'll be easy. I already know what to make."

"Yeah, Colette's present turned out great, didn't it?"

"Shut it!"

Kratos had already silently excused himself from the boys, walking back to the grave plot situated right by the house. It was a small area, but the air here was different, of something quiet and sacred. Or perhaps that was just how he interpreted it. Eyes on the tombstone, hearing Lloyd and Genis still arguing with each other as they walked off, the stillness enveloped him, made the sunlight that streamed through the branches look like patches of gold as they fell on the grave.

Dimly, he heard other voices, farther away, farther than any normal person should have been able to. He could usually control it, shutting out the stray parts of conversations that he would sometimes catch unwillingly. Instead, he heightened it more, putting more focus on them then was deemed appropriate.

"Professor Sage, do you think this is alright?"

"I'm sure the brownies will be delicious, Colette."

"No, not that." A guilty pause. He could hear her shift nervously, nearly tripping again at an overturned root. Grass continued crunching under thick boots. "I mean, me coming back to Iselia for today. Grandma said I would never come back once I went on my journey, and I know people expect me to complete it soon…So if I'm there, do you think they will… And what if my father, what if he thinks-"

"Your father," Raine interrupted, gentle and soothing in her firmness, "will be happy to see you again. He has always loved you, and you being here with him on this day will be a very special gift for him. "

"Do… do you think so?"

"Yes. All parents cherish their children." Then, in a slightly bitter tone, masked so well that Colette couldn't detect the shift, "At least the good ones do."

"So Lord Remiel-" Colette stopped. When she spoke again, it was in a lighter voice. "Thank you, Professor."

Kratos shut away the rest of the conversation, turning back to the grave.

* * *

The house grew very quiet by mid-afternoon. Claiming to need a safe space to make his present, out of sight from Dirk's eyes, Lloyd had traveled a short distance into the woods. Genis decided to follow, claiming to do so to make sure that Lloyd would actually do what he said and not laze around.

Kratos had left them to their own devices for a time, but when the sun had traveled a far expanse across the sky, he found himself going to them, passing by the open doorway of the house. Inside, he glimpsed Dirk focused on his latest work.

The dwarf dipped a red-hot metal object into a large vat of water nearby, the hiss of steam cutting through the air. Sweat coated his thick arms from working for so long at the forge. He brought up the now cooled object with tongs that had clearly seen some use, examining the state of his latest creation. It was the blade of a weapon, resembling a sword, but imbued with designs and shaped with curves distinctly made to cut through the best defense. It didn't seem to be made of steel, the material something else entirely. Despite Kratos wealth of knowledge of strange and otherworldly irons and substances of the world, he couldn't name this one. Some dwarven resources were still kept in secrecy, despite searching eyes.

As a man experienced with swordsmanship, along with a bit of knowledge of their craft, it looked well-made to him, as well-made as the dozens of blades and weapons that lined the right wall. But the dwarf shook his head, clearly unsatisfied. With a hammer in his other hand, he brought the weapon to his workstation and beat it harshly, tempering it with each loud ring.

Kratos moved soon after that, made his way through the somewhat confusing bundle of trees to find a grove nearby. It was a small enclave with a fallen log in the middle, its sides decorated with moss. Genis was lying on the grass, asleep in the sunshine, mouth wide open as he snored. Lloyd had his back turned to the boy, hunched over as he worked a knife over a block of neatly-cut wood. Curled shavings were gathered at his feet like brown leaves.

The mercenary pointedly stepped on a twig to let Lloyd know his presence. But he didn't raise his head or make any indication that he knew Kratos was there. He stepped on another, and got the same non-response.

"Lloyd," he called out.

Predictably, Lloyd jumped at his voice, standing up immediately. He turned around and, upon seeing it was Kratos, faced him with a frown.

"I thought you said we shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

Kratos tried his best not to glare. "I also said we should be mindful of our surroundings, even if we think said surroundings are safe."

Lloyd opened his mouth to retort, then closed it, shaking his head in frustration. "Okay, okay, fine. I'm just busy right now so cut me a break."

Kratos' eyes shifted to the wood block in the other's hand. Much of its original form had been lost, whittled down to resemble a figure with its curves and marks.

"So you're a craftsman like your father?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh…" Lloyd followed the gaze, then flushed slightly. "A little bit, I guess. I'm not as good as him, and he always says my work is amateurish at best. But I think I'm pretty okay at it still!"

Looking at the level of detail on the wood block, the attention to facial features and the folds of clothes, Kratos couldn't disagree. "Never would have imagined."

"…Okay, did you just come over here to be a jerk?"

Realizing that Lloyd had interpreted his comment as an insult, he tried to salvage the conversation. "No, I just find it admirable that you have a talent that you clearly enjoy utilizing."

"Um…thank you?"

"Never mind. I apologize if I am intruding. I simply wanted to check up on the both of you."

Lloyd shrugged. "Well, we're fine. Honestly, I was waiting for Genis to just go to sleep before I started. I don't think he gets arts and crafts that much. I was always better than him at it."

Kratos instantly felt a sort of pride, even though he knew he had no right. "It's good to hear you are doing well in your subjects."

"…Y-yeah, totally! I do good in all of them!"

The lie was a little obvious but Kratos decided not to pursue it. He had put Lloyd on the spot, after all.

Suddenly, Lloyd's eyes widened, remembering. "Aw crap, we had a lesson today, right? I totally forgot."

Their sword-training sessions. Ever since the Seal of Fire, Lloyd had grudgingly asked for his help. Only now, back out here did Kratos realize how much he actually looked forward to those lessons.

"It's fine. You have something more important right now. We can make it up tomorrow with an extra hour."

Lloyd didn't look too entirely thrilled about that. "Ah, okay. I'll catch you later."

With a nod, Kratos turned away to leave Lloyd to his work. Immediately the boy sat back on the log, carving furiously into the block, just as he did before the mercenary showed up. After a pause, Lloyd held up the block to the light, its shape now transformed into the shadow of a figure, and carefully examined it. It looked very well-made, with obvious care and thought put into it. It was the result of an artisan's hands, experienced and understanding in what he worked with.

Lloyd shook his head after the scrutiny. "Nah," he muttered, and put the wood back under the knife to slice off an imperfect piece, to correct a misshapen curve that other eyes would not have picked up on.

Kratos' steps quickened. He didn't think the resemblance would hurt him so much.

* * *

The metal ringing had stopped, engulfing the area with its silence. The door was closed, Kratos believing the dwarf was done with today's work. He absent-mindedly patted Noishe's furry head, the creature giving a content-whine (for whines were all he really knew how to voice) at the touch as he slept in the pen.

It wasn't long before out of the other end of the woods came Dirk, carrying a stack of heavy wood behind his back. "Aye, greetings, Kratos!" he called out cheerfully.

"Good afternoon," Kratos said politely, his hands now at his sides. "Do you need some assistance with that?"

"Ah, don't trouble yerself. Good hosts don't make guests do the work." Dirk opened the door, easily shifting his package to the floor near the forge with a heavy thud. A regular man would have easily sprained his back, but from what little were known of dwarves, they were a more heftier stock. "Come! I can make you some tea if you like."

"I don't mean to intrude-"

"Nonsense! I was already going to make some fer myself anyway. Besides," Dirk turned to him with a wide grin. "A good guest also accepts their host's offers."

Kratos couldn't really argue with that. He complied by walking inside, though not to sit at the table just yet. He watched as the dwarf poured water into a slightly dented iron kettle, taking out packets of crushed leaves. "I had always heard… that your people preferred a different beverage."

Dirk chuckled. "I ain't gonna lie. I do miss the mead at times – nothing finer than the dwarven kind. But ever since Lloyd, I've decided to cut back. That and it's darn difficult now to get some from the homeland anyway." He put the kettle on the stove, heating it against the coals. "Though human wine ain't so bad fer that kind of thing."

Kratos shifted a glance to the floorboards. Everything was fitted well, painted over with bright veneer. The sign of the dwarf's own hands appeared in every facet of this house, right down to the foundations.

"I have been wondering," he said, being as careful as he dared. "Just how did a dwarf come by a human for a son?"

Dirk didn't make any visible reaction to the question. His large hands went to the cut wood he had been carrying, dragging it near the open forge for refueling. "A traveling mercenary never seen the likes of that?"

"I've wandered this world for many years," Kratos answered, the truth of it hitting close to his heart. "And you are only the second dwarf I have ever come across."

"A bit surprised at that." As the water heated, he tossed in one log at a time into the forge, its insides dark, no longer brimming with orange flames. "The few of us left usually prefer to stay underground, away from the surface dwellers."

"Yet you are up here with such dwellers."

Dirk laughed at that. Kratos could detect a bit of sadness in that laugh, but it wasn't bitter. Only speaking of something that was no longer true. "I did not believe that we should let our works fade away into obscurity, so I took my tools and played my craft to the humans. I had hoped that the demand fer such techniques would bring my kind out of their solitude." He shook his head. "In the end, I was exiled instead. They shut their doors to me, and the few remaining elders marked my name as unworthy. If I had family, they would have had to leave with me. But I was the last of my line, with only the arts of my grandfather that I had left."

Exile. Lloyd had used that term from what happened to him in Iselia. Another resemblance, but he pushed that aside.

"I am sorry," he said, unable to think of anything else.

He felt a large thump on his shoulder, nearly offsetting him on his feet. He stumbled, staring down at the dwarf who still smiled widely.

"Enough now. You're looking more glum then I ever could, and it's supposed to be  _my_  sad story!" He laughed again, its sound reverberating against the walls. "Come, sit! The tea's almost done!"

Dirk practically shoved him into a chair. Kratos couldn't really find a good reason to refuse and simply remained seated, watching as the dwarf poured out the steaming water into two clay cups. The herbs that the dwarf added were of a strong and earthy scent. He could only imagine the taste they would bring. Still, he accepted the drink when Dirk brought it over, seating across from him.

Kratos politely took a sip. Despite his taste buds having long been eradicated, he could feel…for lack of a better word, the  _strength_  of the tea. It made him grimace in reflex, tightening his throat. He coughed, putting a hand over his mouth.

The dwarf chuckled at his reaction. "Even when it comes to tea, I like drinks that put a bit a' hair on your chest! At least you handled it better than my boy."

After regaining his composure, Kratos took a deep breath. His boy, was it?

He tried to push away the discomfort, letting his eyes wander to the walls beside him, to the stairs that led to the second story, the potted plants placed on the shelves.

"The one dwarf I met had a different home. He had built it into the side of the mountain." He swirled the tea around in his cup. "The architecture here seems, and I apologize if this seems offensive, a bit more human in nature."

Dirk nodded. "Aye, that it is. I didn't use to live here once I left home. I had my own kind of abode, not too far away from here, just near the cliffs. The few human visitors I ever had never liked coming by - kept hitting their heads on the ceiling!

"When I had Lloyd, I realized that such a home wouldn't be suitable for him, so I set about making a house, one where he was free to grow as ridiculously tall as the rest of ya. Course, he had to live in my other home in the meantime, but he was luckily just a small thing back then.

"And speaking of which," Dirk stretched his arms, still a little sore from cutting up wood from the forest. "I haven't actually answered your first question, have I?"

Kratos looked up from his cup. "About Lloyd? You do not have to-"

"Don't fret about it. Because you're right, it's a bit strange. Well, at least that's what most humans say."

Kratos took another sip of the tea out of respect for his host. Prepared for its kick, he swallowed it with more ease, though it still made its presence known by tickling the back of his tongue as he drank it down. "You have not had it easy."

"No, at least not at first. A few people from Iselia knew me and my work, but it was already quite obvious that they didn't approve of me raising Lloyd as my own. That he needed to learn 'human values' or whatever silly nonsense. For a while, it made me think that perhaps my elders were right, that teaching humans about our creations was nothing more than a waste of time."

Dirk took a deep sip of his own cup, then let out a satisfied sigh. The cup was so small compared to his thick hand, as if just one squeeze would shatter it to pieces if he weren't careful. "But I made a promise, and I wasn't going to go about breaking it right away."

Kratos tried to keep his voice steady. "A promise to who, if I may ask?"

"To the boy's mother. 'Take care of Lloyd,' she told me. I believe you've seen where she rests now."

Kratos hadn't tried to hide his whereabouts at the grave during their stay here. But that was because the others, too busy with their own affairs, hadn't bothered to keep track of him. It didn't occur to him that Dirk would have noticed.

The dwarf did not need prompting. He took another sip, then set it on the table (also handcrafted by him no doubt), crossing his arms as he told his story.

"I never fully understood what happened then. The middle of the night it was, but I happened to be wide awake, working on some old projects. Nearly a whole century since I left the motherland but the pain of it was fresh still. Kept me up most of the time, so I had to preoccupy myself with things. There was rain that night, harder than it had been in weeks. But through all that thunder, I heard a cry, unlike anything else."

Kratos remained silent, but held his eyes with the dwarf's own. Attentive and patient, even though he did all he could to not ask the other to continue.

"I walked by the cliffs to find a young lad there, all banged up and crying his little eyes out, curled up with the biggest dog-creature that I've ever seen." He jutted a thumb toward the outside, past the walls. "Noishe's back legs were broken – took him a few months to finally walk on his own again. He still limps from time to time, but he's mostly healed over.

"But back to that night…I'm not sure what came over me, but I picked up that little boy straight away, and somehow he tuckered out at that exact moment. The crying stopped, and I just stood there, holding this small thing in my arms, not entirely sure what I should do. And that's when I heard her.

"She was hurt very badly. I already knew I couldn't do nothing much fer her. And she seemed to know it too. So I did what I could, just sitting by her side as she finally passed on. What little time we had was not very long, but she used it very wisely, telling me of her son, and that the Desians were to blame for such a tragedy."

The dwarf reached for the tea, taking another deep sip. He let out another sigh, harsh in its tone. "I buried her as soon as I could. I was afraid of Lloyd seeing her like that. He hadn't realized what happened to his mother, and there were more days of tears ahead. In all honesty, I don't think it's rained so much ever since."

Kratos said nothing. Yes, it had been raining hard that night. The lightning had blinded his eyes, the ground slick with fresh mud. In the darkness, despite the torn muscles of his back, the ache that kept pounding in his chest. He had searched all around the bottom of the cliff, finding only half-eaten bodies of the Desians that had chased them down. But no injured woman, and no lost child. The memories used to tear him to shreds. Now there was only numbness there, as if he had only been an observer, watching it all happen, but never taking part.

"Why did you though?" he found himself asking.

Dirk looked at him. "Why did I what?"

"Why did you take Lloyd as your own? Was it really only because of your promise?"

He hoped he didn't sound accusing, but the way his heart stung, it brought forth too many things, too many bitter regrets.

It was a foolish thing to ask. Already Dirk had his suspicions, wondering at this mercenary who spent his time with the dead instead of the living.

Then the dwarf gave a smile, tinged with some small shame. "Perhaps I needed Lloyd as much as he needed me. Of course, a human family might have served him well, probably better. But…I gave him the best I could, and more. Even if the lad did give me a headache at times!" He chuckled as happy memories washed through the sad ones. "Probably a human thing, but he always liked to do things as he pleased, just running off through the forest with Noishe, especially when he was younger. I feared that one of those times might have been the last I'd see of him, off to find his family. But he would always come back - usually when he was hungry!"

Kratos let slip a smile of his own, unaware of it at first. "Even so, you have a very open heart to accept him and all the responsibility with it."

"Ah," Dirk waved away the compliment. "It could just be the dwarven teachings within me that pulled me and the boy through."

Kratos looked at him in slight confusion. "Teachings?"

"Of course. My people have their own values as well. Dwarven vow #2: Never abandon someone in need! Although I wish there had been a vow that told me how to make a child eat his vegetables."

Were tomatoes still an ordeal for Lloyd to deal with? Though he did recall Lloyd pushing aside the plates of leafy greens and reds during their dinners here… "You've raised a fine son, Dirk."

To be fair, he had worried. He had heard both Lloyd and Dirk arguing that one night, before the Chosen had left on her journey. Yet with a guilt that he never wanted to admit, it almost made him hope that perhaps Lloyd's relationship with his foster father was strained, perhaps due to their differences in blood.

Looking at Dirk across from him, remembering how the boy would talk to him besides the forge during their time here, eyes rapt on his newest creation, he realized that was not so.

The dwarf took one final sip of his drink, while Kratos still had more than half a cup left. "Been a while since I told anyone so much. I suppose a teacher wishes to know more of his pupil, eh?"

"Yes," he said immediately. "It is always good to know where one comes from."

"Ah, but I feel I can't take all the credit! The boy was already three when he came to live with me, ya know?"

Kratos waited, uncertain.

"I believe kids learn much in the beginning. The boy was brave. Foolhardy, a little bit more stubborn than me even, but brave. His parents had raised him well before I ever came along."

Kratos could never tell the dwarf just how much such words meant to him, how it rekindled the hope inside his chest. He briefly looked away, thankful that control, for the most part, came easy to him.

"Yet you preserved that part of him, Dirk. I don't think that should go unsaid either."

He took another sip of the now lukewarm tea. The orange light of the sun painted shadows across the table. He stood up, setting down the cup.

"I never thanked you for your hospitality. It is an honor that you've allowed me, a stranger, into your home."

Dirk stood up as well, gathering the cups to toss into a spot on the small kitchen counter. "Think nothing of it. I can see that Lloyd trusts you, and whoever his friends are, they also be friends of my own. If there's one thing I  _can_  take credit fer, it's teaching my son how to judge good character."

Kratos could not think of anything else to say to that. He really wished it was true. He looked to the window.

"It'll be getting dark soon. I will bring the children back." He headed for the open door, once again subjected to the calm of the forest, the soft whispers of the running stream.

"Was nice shooting the breeze with ya, Kratos. Perhaps next time you'd care to share some stories of your own?" Dirk walked outside with him, gathering up some overturned packs he had left outside before.

Kratos didn't look at him. "Perhaps."

He stepped onto the small bridge span. His boots made thumping, hollow sounds against the wood. How long had this small construction stood here? It looked new still, the boards showing few signs of wear and tear. Dirk was really a master craftsman and architect. Born from a people who worked metal to their will, he had mastered wood as well.

He inclined his head back to the house's shore. "Dirk, I-"

" _Heeeey, Daaaaad!"_

Both adults turned around. Lloyd was there, at the edge of the grove he had retreated to before. He was waving one of his arms wildly, a big grin stretching his face. An object was clutched in his other hand, just slightly hidden behind his back.

"Lloyd! What's gotten you so excited?"

As an answer, Lloyd rushed up to the bridge. His white neck ribbons billowed out from his collar in his dash, the Exsphere on his hand winking from the waning sunlight.

Kratos stood still on that bridge, the lapping sounds of the stream fading away.

For years, he had harbored a selfish, small fantasy. It did not happen often, but when he found himself surrounded by lifeless eyes, when he looked up and could only see the murky violet sky of his dead home instead of the stars of the universe, his mind retreated. Anna was dead, and so too was his son in that storm. The half-eaten bodies on the ground had told him cruelly that no young child could have survived in that dark, even if he had withstood the fall. But still, he would concoct the what-if's, the possibility that perhaps that small child had indeed lived.

There would be hundreds of scenarios of finding him at last, from the mundane to the far-fetched. But whatever the circumstance, it would end up the same. That the child, (and in his mind, his son would always be that small boy, no matter how many years had passed) would see him and instantly recognize him. That he would rush up to him, laughing happily as Kratos picked him up, bringing his small body to the sky. It was what had always happened whenever Kratos would return back to Anna and their boy. Even when the months had been long, his son would remember him, little hands outstretched to his father. He had never looked forward to anything else but that.

It was that selfishness, to stay by his family instead of leading his enemies away, that had caused such tragedy, and had led his precious child to an early grave.

Yet in each of those scenarios, those small plays of the imagination that had kept him going for the past fourteen years, he had never pictured just how his son would have survived, only the result that he did. How idiotic of him to not think that the boy would have caretakers. To have people feed him, clothe him, to give him a home to finally rest his head. And no, he certainly did not imagine his son calling another as his father.

Suddenly those memories were replaced with a boy, brown hair a mess as always, rushing up to tree-trunk arms instead of his own. To have that dwarf smile upon him, to give him all that he needed to live and be happy, to give him that stability that Kratos himself had never been able to. No, all he had ever done for Lloyd was give him a life of running, of sleeping underneath an open sky, of always rushing him through the night when watchful eyes came too close. It was not enough for a growing child, it had never been enough. And once Kratos was gone, his son had finally started living, discovering who he was without the added stress of moving from place to place. For he had a home, he had friends, and he had a competent father.

_His parents had raised him well before I ever came along._

They were kind words, he realized, but that was all they were. Would not Lloyd remember him if they were true?

"Dad!"

He watched Lloyd run up to him, just as reckless as all those years before. He could not move, suddenly unsure as to what he should do.

Lloyd's boots pounded against the bridge, rushing right past the mercenary.

"Careful, lad! How many times did you fall into the river running like a headless chicken?"

"I know, I know!" Lloyd grinned, thrusting out the object he was holding. It was a small wooden carving, polished to a shine. The detail had been refined to even greater lengths, to the point that it really looked like a miniature version of the blacksmith dwarf. "Happy Father's Day!"

Dirk was speechless for a moment, taking the present. Then he gave a booming laugh, slapping Lloyd affectionately on the shoulder. "Aye, so  _this_  what you've been busy with all this time! And ya even got it to me before the day was over!"

"I was only late the last three times!" Lloyd argued, though the smile never left his face.

Dirk turned the statue over, his own smile soft. He quickly pressed a knuckle against his eye, mumbling about dust. "Still a little rough around the edges, and my belly ain't that big. Also could've worked on the beard a bit more."

"Gee,  _thanks."_

"But you've improved quite a bit…" Dirk then wrapped a thick arm around Lloyd's neck, bringing him down to his level as he gave him a great bear hug. "Thank ya, Lloyd! It's nice to know that some of my teachings are finally rubbing off on ya!"

"Ah! Let go!" Lloyd struggled animatedly. But his laughter never let up, even when Dirk rubbed his fist against the top of his head, mussing up his hair even more so. "I'm too old for this!"

"Old? Gonna complain about your aching back now? Can't have my son go on like that!"

Kratos watched as both Lloyd and Dirk roughhoused, their laughter bright, bouncing against the ground. Even in that sound, they both acted the same way.

Without saying a word, he turned around, crossing the bridge to find Genis. At the very least, he could bring him back before the child slept the night away in the forest.


End file.
